Ice and Climate No.20

Ice and Climate Newsletter Volume 20

ISSN 1811-08439 July 2014

Welcome back to the Climate and Cryosphere Newsletter

Greetings from the CliC Project Office in warm and sunny Arctic Tromsø. You may have missed our newsletter over the past few months, so this one is packed with lots of new information, upcoming workshops, and more. We’ve had a few challenges this spring with a website hack and extended illnesses in the office, but we are back in action. As always, if you have anything to contribute to our newsletter, please let us know.

Highlights from this Issue

- Mauricio Mata Becomes New WCRP JSC Liaison to CliC

- Cryosphere in A Changing Climate Report in Eos

- David Carlson Appointed New Director WCRP

- Changes in the CliC Staff

Latest CliC News

We would like to welcome Mauricio Mata to the Climate and Cryosphere community. Mauricio will join James Renwick as our liaisons to the WCRP Joint Science Committee. We look forward to working with Mauricio and hope you will join us in welcoming him to the CliC community.

Mauricio is Associate Professor of Physical Oceanography at the Federal University of Rio Grande-FURG, Rio Grande, Brazil, where he has been since 1992. He received his PhD in Oceanography at the Flinders University of South Australia, in Adelaide, working jointly at the CSIRO Marine Labs in Hobart, Australia. His research interests and teaching activities have been associated with physical oceanography, modelling and remote sensing of meso/large-scale oceanic processes in the South Atlantic, South Pacific and Southern Oceans. He has been deeply involved in water mass analysis and western boundary currents research, including remote sensing and in-situ expeditions to several open ocean environments. Most of his work uses observations spanning from in-situ classical methods to satellite remote sensing. Prof. Mata has participated in several expeditions to the Southern Ocean and is currently interested in Southern Ocean dense water mass formation and export; long-term trends and hydrographic variability around Antarctica; the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean contribution to the Meridional Overturning Circulation; and Paleoceanography. Currently, he is a member of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Joint Science Committee, part of the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) Science Steering Committee, deputy chair of the Brazilian National Institute for Cryospheric Research (INCT-Criosfera) and full member of the Brazilian National Committee for Antarctic Research (CONAPA).

The report from this meeting is now available and will likely be of interest to many of you in the cryosphere community. The report lists projects by many groups that have interests in linking to the YOPP as well as current plans for coordination and future planning.

If you have any specific ideas on how CliC help to add value to this important activity, please contact Jenny Baeseman.

Report Available from the Thermokarst Aquatic Workshop in March 2014

- CliC co-sponsored the THAW workshop

The THermokarst Aquatic Workshop was held from 12 to 15 March 2014 at Centre d’études nordiques (CEN), Laval University, in Québec City, Canada. The meeting was attended by around 100 researchers (including a large percentage of polar and alpine early career scientists) to present, discuss and synthesize observations concerning freshwater systems in permafrost landscapes, and to identify gaps in knowledge that are priorities for ongoing and future research. The meeting noted the increasing interest in thermokarst lakes, ponds and wetlands given the accelerated warming of the Arctic and the associated effects on permafrost degradation, and peat erosion. In some regions of the Arctic permafrost lakes are eroding and draining, while in other areas they are expanding in size and numerical abundance. The net effects are important to assess, because these aquatic systems provide a major class of ecological habitats in the North. They also have the potential to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, thereby acting as a positive feedback on climate change, and may be large sources of particulate and dissolved organic materials to the coastal ocean that some of them ultimately drain into. The meeting brought together specialists from a variety of physical, chemical and biological disciplines to exchange ideas, results and information on three connected themes: a) Physical aspects and dynamics through time and space; b) Biogeochemical and photochemical properties; and c) Biodiversity and food webs. A special issue of the EGU journal Biogeosciences is now being produced from the meeting, and follow-up meetings were planned, including at the European Conference on Permafrost (Portugal) and the Arctic Change conference (Canada).

Changes in the CliC Staff

The CliC Office is happy to introduce Erik Warming as our interim Administrative Officer. Erik holds a geophysics degree from the University of Copenhagen, has worked on improving ice core drilling methods, and has a strong background in project management and a flair for administrative challenges. Some of you may already know Erik as he has been volunteering as our FrostBytes editor for the past years. He started in the Administrative Officer position in May and will be with us for the coming months, filling in for Heidi Isaksen who is currently on extended sick leave. Please join us in wishing Heidi a speedy and thorough recovery.

As Erik moves on to increased responsibilities in the office, he has passed the role of primary FrostByte and video editor on to the new CliC volunteer Lorna Little. Lorna is a polar botanist from New Zealand. After studying the potential for weeds to invade alpine regions at the University of Otago, New Zealand, she went on to study all things Antarctic in the Post Graduate Certificate of Antarctic Studies at the University of Canterbury. Her background in botany and passion for polar places sent her to the northern hemisphere however, when she began her PhD investigating the role of flower colour in the New Zealand Subantarctic and Arctic Svalbard with the University of Otago and the University Center in Svalbard. She has been involved in various APECS Oceania initiatives in New Zealand, and since completing her PhD in December of 2013, has been developing outreach and education activities about polar regions and botany. She is looking forward to working with many of you on sharing your science with the world.

This meeting also helped to better connect the Arctic CORDEX efforts with the Arctic Council’s Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic (AACA). The Arctic CORDEX projections will mainly be used for the pan-Arctic AACA report, but regional reports will also be useful to the AACA if the timelines can brought closer together.

Call for Abstracts: PCPI AGU Fall Meeting Session

The Polar Climate Predictability Initiative is pleased to announce a special session at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, CA, USA. They invite abstract submissions to session 2392: Polar Climate: Processes and Predictability.

Few climate models have accurately predicted recent changes in polar climate and, as a result, projections of seasonal to multidecadal polar climate variability remain uncertain. We welcome presentations that examine the processes that govern seasonal to multidecadal polar climate variability, identify sources of polar climate predictability and characterize uncertainty in polar climate prediction. Studies may address these topics using remote sensing, field-based observations, proxy data, reanalyses, numerical modeling and theory. Assessing model errors related to polar predictability and evaluating renalyses are also important to advance this field. Finally, we welcome studies that link polar climate predictability to extra-polar phenomena. This session seeks to connect the community of atmospheric, oceanic, and cryospheric scientists working on topics relevant to the new Polar Climate Predictability Initiative of the World Climate Research Program.

ICSU newsletter June 2014

- ICSU is a sponsor of CliC’s parent programme, the WCRP

The ICSU (International Council for Science) newsletter is now available. There are items about the resignation of the ICSU Executive Director and the Deputive Executive Director.This issue also covers:

Registrations for General Assembly close on 18 July

United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction

2nd young scientists networking conference on the future of the green economy

Results from inter-comparison studies, independent validation and consistency checks, model experiments and assimilation to the topic of the workshop are all welcome. Specifically we would appreciate workshop participants to present results obtained by using and/or including the prototype products for sea ice concentration (SIC) and sea ice thickness (SIT) of the ESA CCI Sea Ice ECV project (SICCI) into their analysis. This prototype products can be downloaded from http://icdc.zmaw.de/esa-cci_sea-ice-ecv0.html?&L=1. The SICCI team will also present its own results with regard to data quality assessment.

Call for Papers: 9th Arctic Frontiers Conference: Climate and Energy

- CliC’s Director, Jenny Baeseman, and SSG member, Nalan Koc, are on the organizing committee for Session 1 of the science section

Organizers announce a call for papers for the 9th Arctic Frontiers Conference entitled "Climate and Energy." The conference will convene 18-23 January 2015 in Tromso, Norway.

The Arctic Frontiers conference will provide a forum for representatives from science, politics, and civil society to share perspectives on how upcoming challenges in the Arctic may be addressed to ensure sustainable development. Arctic Frontiers is composed of a policy section and a scientific section. This call for papers is for the scientific section, which will address three main themes:- Arctic climate change - global implications;- Ecological winners and losers in future Arctic marine ecosystems; and- The Arctic's role in the global energy supply and security.

This one-day workshop brings together users and developers of sea-ice models to start a joint effort for improving sea-ice models. We will discuss the analysis of sea-ice biases in CMIP5 models, determine the most pressing needs for model development, identify the most helpful observational data, and compile a list of the most useful sea ice variables to be saved for CMIP6. The workshop is the first in a series of planned activities from the Sea ice and Climate Modeling Forum, which is a WCRP-CliC initiative that aims at improving and better understanding large-scale sea-ice simulations by coordinating a joint effort of the international sea ice modeling community. Following a few short plenary talks, the workshop will consist of breakout group and discussion sessions. For further information about the workshop and to register for it (by June 30th 2014), please go to: http://www.climate-cryosphere.org/activities/groups/seaicemodeling.

European Space Agency (ESA) has released its call for proposals for the next projects in the Data User Element (DUE) INNOVATOR arena. Projects are expected to contributed to various international efforts, and CliC and the Cryosphere in a Changing Climate Grand Challenge are specifically mentioned. We encourage those of you interested in submitting a proposal to consider tying your efforts to some of the ongoing and developing CliC activities.

The full call for proposals can be downloaded here. A short summary follows: The DUE INNOVATOR III will consist in a suite of up to 12 projects of maximum two year time duration and of value up to 200 K euro each. The DUE INNOVATOR III projects will give to the end-users, industry and research communities the opportunity to develop and demonstrate innovative Earth Observation (EO) services and products using existing ESA, ESA third-party mission and other EO datasets. These original projects, if successful, may constitute future large scale activities within the Agency's Data User Element (DUE) programme. The DUE INNOVATOR III application areas and service themes are open, but require a targeted end-user community that will directly benefit from these new services and products. At least one end-user entity shall be actively involved in each DUE INNOVATOR III project and will be responsible for providing the detailed service and product requirements, as well as support the interpretation and validation of the service products, and assess the adequacy of and benefits of the service.

Updates from the Permafrost Carbon Network

- a CliC endorsed and supported effort

Here are some Permafrost Carbon Network related updates:

1) CAPP-workshop summary: The 3rd and final CAPP (Carbon pools in permafrost) workshop took place mid-May in Stockholm and was a great assembly of presentations and discussions focusing on the topic of carbon pools in permafrost. All presentations will become available to members of the Permafrost Carbon Network on Google Drive which you will be able to access through our website.

2) The Permafrost Carbon Network meeting for product leads and co-leads was held the day after the CAPP workshop in Stockholm. We discussed progress for synthesis products, model benchmarking and next steps of the Permafrost Carbon Network within the smaller group of leads and co-leads. Depending on progress product leads/co-leads will be in touch with their working group with some follow-up information.

3) Interactive Maps: We have added interactive maps to our website which include detailed information on sampling locations for various synthesis products. The maps will allow the user to see what kind of data are available for which regions/locations in the Arctic. We hope you find this useful.

- MISMIP is part of the ISMASS initiative, which is sponsored by SCAR, IASC and CliC

At the EGU Assembly in Vienna April 2014, the ISMASS group held a splinter meeting on marine ice sheet model intercomparison projects (MISMIP). The meeting was run by Frank Pattyn and Gael Durand and aimed to gauge the interest in the need for a follow-up of MISMIP3d. A large consensus in the audience was that improvements in the development of ice-sheet modeling in general and a better representation of outlet glacier dynamics in particular, should continue simultaneously to the CliC-WAGOM initiative. The notes from the meeting can be found on the ISMASS website. Additional information on the MISMIP can be found http://homepages.ulb.ac.be/~fpattyn/mismip+/

A second planning meeting is proposed to be held at the IGS Conference in Chamonix (25-30 May 2014).

Group on Earth Observations Launches Worldwide App Competition

- CliC is part of GEO’s efforts in the Cold Regions

‘Aim is to Turn Data into Decisions’

GEO Appathon 2014 is designed to create new, exciting and easy-to-use Apps using Earth observation data available through GEO’s Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). GEOSS is a unique, web-based clearinghouse that provides access to more than 65 million data records from archives spread across the globe. (www.geoportal.org) App designers from more than 15 countries – and growing – are competing for $20,000 in prizes being offered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Cryosphere in A Changing Climate Report in Eos

A short summary of the 2013 Cryosphere in a Changing Climate Grand Challenge Workshop, sponsored by the World Climate Research Programme (WCPR), CliC and the Research Council of Norway, has recently been published inEos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union Volume 95, Number 15, 15 April 2014. The peer-reviewed journal article written by Allen Pope and Jenny Baeseman can be downloaded from the AGU website or contact Allen Pope for a pdf.

David Carlson Appointed New Director WCRP

WCRP sponsors are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. David Carlson as Director of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Joint Planning staff (JPS).

Many of the cryosphere community may know Dr. Carlson from his work directing the International Programme Office for the International Polar Year 2007-2008. IPY, with more than 50,000 participants from 60 nations, stimulated a wide range of geophysical, biological and social science research at a critical time for Polar Regions.

Dr. Carlson holds a PhD in Oceanography and led successful research on upper ocean physics and chemistry, oceanic microbiology and carbon cycling, and marine chemical ecology at Oregon State University. He has devoted more than 15 years to international science: in 1990-94 as the Director of the International Project Office for the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere programme (TOGA); and after that as the Director of Atmospheric Technology for the US National Center for Atmospheric Research, supporting climate, atmospheric chemistry and meteorology research around the world. Dr. Carlson is currently serving as Chief Editor for Earth System Science Data, a journal he founded with Dr. Han Pfeiffenberger.

Cryosphere Community News

Updates from other groups, partners, institutes and organizations that are of interest to the cryosphere community.

New Video from the National Research Council: The Arctic in the Anthropocene

A new video from the National Academies' Division on Earth and Life Studies focuses on the rapid pace of Arctic change and investigates the transition to a "new normal" of reduced ice and snow and the cascade of impacts this will have on systems that depend on frozen ground and water.

A New Arctic Ocean Basemap Available

The Esri Ocean Basemap Team is happy to announce that the Arctic Ocean Basemap has been released as a beta version and is publicly available! The Arctic Ocean Basemap uses the Alaska Polar Stereographic projection (WKID 5936) and is cached from 1:451,295, 122 to 1:881,435. As a reminder, this is a beta release version which means it is not intended for production use. At the end of the beta period, the Arctic Ocean Basemap’s service URL will change in late September/early October.

The Ocean Basemap Team is so excited to see the incredible maps and apps users will create using the new Arctic Ocean Basemap! Questions and comments can be entered directly below web map itself, or by emailing the team directly at .

This data set provides a daily record of Arctic sea ice characteristics for the years 1979 through 2012 derived from passive microwave brightness temperatures. Characteristics include the location of sea ice cover, sea ice age, day of melt onset, and status of melt onset. Data are gridded in the 25 km Equal-Area Scalable Earth Grid (EASE-Grid) 2.0 and are provided as netCDF files.

If you have questions, please contact NSIDC's User Services Office at .

LGGE Calving Workshop webpage launched

The 1st and 2nd of June 2014, an international workshop on calving at Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l’Environnement (LGGE) was held in Grenoble. The workshop has focused on the process of iceberg calving, one of the most important process controlling the dynamical component of loss of mass from glaciers, ice-caps and ice-sheets, and their contribution to sea level rise. During 2-days, 34 participants from 11 countries have discussed most of the aspects related to calving, both from the modelling and the observational points of view.

A website has been designed for this workshop: http://www-lgge.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr/calving2014/index.htmlOn this website, you will find:- the program,- the list of participants,- the minutes from the discussion held during the workshop,- the presentation slides and video of the 7 keynote lectures

SCAR announces its Visiting Professor Scheme 2014

The scheme is designed to encourage the active involvement of scientists and academics in Antarctic research, and to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in Antarctic research.

The Visiting Professorship is for mid- to late-career stage scientists and academics (at least 5 years after completing their PhD) who are involved in Antarctic research, providing the opportunity for them to undertake a short-term visit (1 to 4 weeks) to an institute in another SCAR member country, to provide training and mentoring. The ultimate goal of the scheme is to strengthen the scientific research capacity of countries with smaller or less well-developed Antarctic research programmes, promoting capacity building in the host institute and developing long-term scientific links and partnerships which will lead to advances in Antarctic research.

The Visiting Professor Scheme is seen to complement the early-career SCAR Fellowship Scheme (http://www.scar.org/awards/fellowships/) by providing scientists and academics with the opportunity to intensify collaboration amongst SCAR member countries and to contribute to SCAR’s objectives.

The scheme provides awards of up to USD $2500 each, covering the cost of an international return flight and some contribution towards living expenses for the visiting period. Some commitment is required from the candidate's home institute (or the candidate themselves, if retired) and the proposed host institute.

Full information on the scheme, including details of the application process and the criteria on which applications will be assessed, is available on the SCAR website. Follow the link from the SCAR home page: http://www.scar.org/

The closing date for applications is Thursday 31st July 2014.

Queries about the scheme should be sent to

International Arctic Science Committee Medal Award 2015

International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) Medals are awarded in recognition of exceptional and sustained contributions to the understanding of the Arctic. A maximum of one award is made each year, assuming that there is a nominee of appropriate quality. The award of medals is normally by the President of IASC during the Arctic Science Summit Week (or exceptionally at another major international meeting) following the ratification of the award.

Nominations for the IASC Medal 2015 can be submitted to the IASC Secretariat until 31 December 2014. The Medal Awards Committee, composed of Rajan Sivaramakrishnan, Yves Frenot and David Hik, will consider the nominations received and the Medal will be awarded at the Arctic Science Summit Week 2015 in Toyama, Japan (23-30 April 2015).

More information on the IASC Medal, including a compilation of previous medalists, is available on the IASC website at http://www.iasc.info/home/iasc/iasc-medal where you can also download the nomination form.

The new Research in Svalbard Portal is launched

The Research in Svalbard (RiS) database has now been re-launched and brand new services are added. With its user-friendly design and improved functionality, the new RiS Portal will be a valuable tool for all scientific activity in and around Svalbard.

The new and improved version of the Research in Svalbard (RiS) database is up and running. It will provide a valuable catalogue of scientific activities in and around Svalbard. All ongoing and planned research, educational and monitoring projects in Svalbard and surrounding waters are strongly recommended to register.

The new RiS Portal is an important tool to increase coordination, cooperation and data sharing in Svalbard research

RiS Portal features:

Open access

Everything in one place

Registration of projects and scientists

Bookings for Ny-Ålesund

Applications to the Governor

New map and statistics view

Information about field activity and data

Coordination and cooperation tool

RiS Portal with the new Map view of field work locations in active projects.

The new Map view provides a unique overview of the vast research activity and will enable scientists to find cooperation partners, making it easier to coordinate both logistics and field work. Also the metadata and publications added by RiS users will add value to the database.

Visit the RiS Portal at www.researchinsvalbard.no today to search for scientific activity and to register and update projects!

New sea ice thickness and snow depth product, available at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)

The NASA IceBridge Sea Ice Freeboard, Snow Depth, and Thickness Quick Look data set is an evaluation product containing derived geophysical data products retrieved over the Arctic sea ice cover from 14 March to 02 April 2012, 21 March to 25 April 2013, and 12 March to 03 April 2014 using the IceBridge Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM), Snow Radar, Digital Mapping System (DMS), and KT19 pyrometer. This quick look product is experimental and is designed to be applicable for time-sensitive projects such as sea ice forecasting. The data were collected as part of Operation IceBridge funded campaigns, are stored in ASCII text files, and are available via FTP.

They have also produced a new basin-wide Arctic sea ice thickness product utilizing data from CryoSat-2, SSM/I, and IceBridge snow depth data in order to provide an experimental data set to aid in seasonal sea ice forecasting and other time-sensitive projects. The CryoSat-2 data were processed using a new method which fits a physical model of CryoSat-2 returns to enable retrieval of surface elevations over sea ice. The product has been built from near real-time data sets and using procedures which will benefit from further refinement for long-term climate analysis, but comparison with the available IceBridge data set shows a high accuracy which is suitable for time-sensitive projects requiring knowledge of near-real time thickness data.

IceChrono v1.0 model, released

IceChrono is a statistical model to build a common and optimized chronology for several ice cores, taking into account background scenarios of accumulation, Lock-in-Depth and thinning function and various observations. It is available under an open-source license (GPLv3).

IceChrono is written entirely in python2.IceChrono is provided with an AICC2012-like experiment with which you can play.

If you have any question on the model, please use the maililng list.

More features will be added in the future, stay tuned.

Development of a Strategic Vision and Plan for the US Antarctic Program at the National Science Foundation

The National Research Council (NRC) Committee to Advise NSF Science Priorities for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research is seeking your input.

This committee is charged to articulate a strategic vision for NSF's investments in Antarctic and Southern Ocean research-- anchored by community engagement and input, and building upon the broad vision of key scientific questions identified in the 2011 NRC report "Future Science Opportunities in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean", as well as other relevant efforts such as the SCAR Horizon Scan currently underway. The goal of this study is to develop consensus recommendations on priorities for compelling research that could feasibly be undertaken in the coming decade or so, and outline practical steps forward to implement this research. Our scope stretches across topics as diverse as geology and geophysics, terrestrial and aquatic biology, glaciology and ice core studies, ocean and atmospheric sciences, astrophysics and space weather, as well as cross-cutting areas such as education, public engagement, and data management.

As input for this study, the committee would like to draw widely on the expertise and experience of people across the Antarctic and Southern Ocean science communities. The committee are planning a series of outreach events to be held at various locations across the country, where you may have an opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas in person (dates and locations will be circulated once the plans for these events are further solidified). In addition, they have set up an online “Virtual Town Hall” at the link given below, where you are invited to submit your ideas in writing.

This NRC study presents an important opportunity to help shape the future of Antarctic and Southern Ocean research, and they do hope you will choose to take advantage of this opportunity. The committee welcomes and values your ideas. The window for input will remain open for the next several months (until November 1, 2014), so you should have ample time to contribute. While this study is advising on priorities for U.S.-funded research activities, we still welcome suggestions from non-U.S. scientists. This may include suggestions, for instance, for how U.S. research programs can most effectively foster and build upon international partnerships to advance Antarctic and Southern Ocean research.

Questions can be directed to Lauren Brown at the NRC: .

Presentations now on-line from 2014 Polar Technology Conference

The 10th annual Polar Technology Conference was hosted by the Pervasive Technology Institute of Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, on 15-17 April. Conference presentations are available on-line at http://PolarPower.org/PTC/list_2014.html

The presentations from the present and past conferences are available by following the links at the Home Page:

The primary purpose of this conference is to bring together Polar Scientists and Technology Developers in a forum to exchange information on research system operational needs and technology solutions that have been successful in polar environments. This exchange of knowledge helps to address issues of design, implementation, and deployment for systems that are to achieve their research goals in the Polar Regions.

2nd Circular for the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2015

The ASSW 2015 will be held in Toyama (Japan) on 23-30 April 2015 and will include the Fourth International Symposium on the Arctic Research (ISAR-4) and the Third International Conference on the Arctic Research Planning (ICARP III).

The 2nd Circular includes Call for Session Proposals for the Fourth International Symposium on Arctic Research (ISAR-4) and the Third International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP III).

US National Academies Releases Permafrost and Remote Sensing Report

Opportunities to Use Remote Sensing in Understanding Permafrost and Related Ecological Characteristics is the summary of a workshop convened by the National Research Council to explore opportunities for using remote sensing to advance our understanding of permafrost status and trends and the impacts of permafrost change, especially on ecosystems and the carbon cycle in the high latitudes. The workshop brought together experts from the remote sensing community with permafrost and ecosystem scientists. The workshop discussions articulated gaps in current understanding and potential opportunities to harness remote sensing techniques to better understand permafrost, permafrost change, and implications for ecosystems in permafrost areas. This report addresses questions such as how remote sensing might be used in innovative ways, how it might enhance our ability to document long-term trends, and whether it is possible to integrate remote sensing products with the ground-based observations and assimilate them into advanced Arctic system models. Additionally, the report considers the expectations of the quality and spatial and temporal resolution possible through such approaches, and the prototype sensors that are available that could be used for detailed ground calibration of permafrost/high latitude carbon cycle studies.

In a ceremony hosted by FIO on the 11th April 2014, WCRP’s Acting Director, Valery Detemmerman, and FIO’s Director, Dr. Deyi Ma, signed an agreement which outlines the terms of reference for the Office in Qingdao that will host the Executive Director, two Staff Scientists and an Administrative Assistant. If all goes according to plan, the office will begin functioning early in June. In the interim inquiries can be addressed to Valery Detemmerman or Nico Caltabiano.

The ICPO is transitioning from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), in Southampton, UK, where it was hosted for over 12 years to a distributed configuration with offices in Pune, India and Bologna, Italy, in addition to the ICGPO in Qingdao. Support for the offices is coming from the three host countries as well as from the USA and Germany. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the UK's Natural Environment Reserach Council (NERC) for its support of the ICPO over the years and the NOC for hosting the office.

The First Institute of Oceanography (FIO) of SOA, is a comprehensive research institute engaged in both basic and applied research in oceanography and marine related science and technology. It is responsible for supporting the development of high-tech industries, advancing marine science and technology, providing technical supports and research services in the area of marine resources management, national marine protection, public service, marine economic development and marine safety.

Changes in the WCRP staff

After 27 years of dedication and hard work for WCRP Valery Detemmerman took her retirement on 30th April 2014. She joined the WCRP Joint Planning Staff as TOGA science officer, she then provided support to WOCE, CLIVAR and GEWEX. Since November 2013 Valery has been acting director for WCRP. WCRP Sponsors, JPS and the WCRP networks greatly appreciate Valery's contribution made over the years and join in wishing her all the best for this new phase of her life.

David Carlson have taken up the mantle of Director of of WCRP Joint Planning Staff.

Many of the cryosphere community may know Dr. Carlson from his work directing the International Programme Office for the International Polar Year 2007-2008. IPY, with more than 50,000 participants from 60 nations, stimulated a wide range of geophysical, biological and social science research at a critical time for Polar Regions.

Dr. Carlson holds a PhD in Oceanography and led successful research on upper ocean physics and chemistry, oceanic microbiology and carbon cycling, and marine chemical ecology at Oregon State University. He has devoted more than 15 years to international science: in 1990-94 as the Director of the International Project Office for the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere programme (TOGA); and after that as the Director of Atmospheric Technology for the US National Center for Atmospheric Research, supporting climate, atmospheric chemistry and meteorology research around the world. Dr. Carlson is currently serving as Chief Editor for Earth System Science Data, a journal he founded with Dr. Han Pfeiffenberger.

CLIVAR SSG Member awarded EGU Medal

Stephen Griffies, currently member of CLIVAR SSG and former chair of WGOMD, has been awarded the 2014 EGU Fridtjof Nansen Medal for his outstanding contribution and leadership in ocean general circulation model development and critical insights in the physical nature and parametrization of ocean processes.

Stephen Griffies is one of the world’s foremost ocean circulation model developers, the lead developer of the Modular Ocean Model (MOM), one of the most advanced ocean circulation modelling systems in the world. Griffies developed the model with freely available (open source) code that is used at numerous meteorological and oceanographic institutions worldwide for studies of global and regional ocean systems.

SPARC Annual Report 2013 now available

SPARC (Stratosphere-troposphere Processes And their Role in Climate) is a core project of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP). Founded in 1992, SPARC has coordinated for almost two decades high-level research activities of increasing relevance for understanding Earth system processes. There Annual 2013 report is now available here: